Prof. Dr. Christina Scheu
Vita
Nachruf
Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien trauert um Christina Scheu
Mit großer Trauer nehmen wir Abschied von Prof. Dr. Christina Scheu, Leiterin der unabhängigen Forschungsgruppe „Nanoanalytik und Grenzflächen“ am Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien und Professorin an der RWTH Aachen. Christina Scheu ist am 29. September 2026 nach schwerer Krankheit verstorben.
Mit ihr verliert das Institut eine herausragende Wissenschaftlerin, engagierte Mentorin und warmherzige Kollegin. Über viele Jahre prägte sie nicht nur die Forschung am Institut, sondern unterstützte mit großem Engagement junge Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler auf ihrem beruflichen Weg.
Forschung für die Energiewende
Christina Scheu forschte vor allem zu Materialien für die Energiewende. Sie untersuchte thermoelektrische Werkstoffe, die Abwärme in Strom umwandeln, Katalysatoren, die Wasser spalten und so grünen Wasserstoff herstellen und Materialien für Brennstoffzellen und Batterien.
Dabei nutzte sie unter anderem hochauflösende Transmissionselektronenmikroskope, um atomgenau Werkstoffe zu untersuchen und zu verstehen, wie ihre innere Struktur und chemische Zusammensetzung deren Eigenschaften beeinflussen. Sie interessierte sich besonders für Grenzflächen, Korngrenzen und andere Defekte, Bereiche im Material, die die elektrische, thermische oder katalytische Leistungsfähigkeit beeinflussen. Dadurch konnte ihre Forschung nicht nur erklären, warum bestimmte Materialien besonders gut funktionieren oder mit der Zeit an Leistung verlieren, sondern auch Wege aufzeigen, wie sich ihre Eigenschaften gezielt verbessern und ihre Lebensdauer erhöhen lassen.
Wissenschaftlerin und Mentorin
Christina Scheus Engagement ging weit über ihre Forschung und ihre Aufgaben als Gruppenleiterin und Professorin hinaus. Die Mitglieder ihrer Forschungsgruppe begleitete sie mit großer Aufmerksamkeit und persönlichem Engagement. Ihr war wichtig, dass junge Forschende nicht nur wissenschaftlich erfolgreich waren, sondern sich auch persönlich weiterentwickeln konnten. Sie stand ihnen mit Rat, Erfahrung und viel Herzblut zur Seite – auch nach ihrem Weggang zu neuen Positionen.
Zudem war es ihr eine Herzensangelegenheit gerade Frauen in ihrem beruflichen und persönlichen Werdegang zu unterstützen. Als Mentorin bereitete sie die Wissenschaftlerinnen des Instituts auf Bewerbungssituationen vor und unterstützte sie auf dem Weg zu Berufungsverfahren und neuen Karriereschritten.
Wissenschaftlicher Werdegang
Christina Scheu wurde am 11. Dezember 1965 in Limburg an der Lahn geboren und studierte Physik an der Technischen Hochschule Darmstadt. Sie promovierte 1996 am damaligen Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung in Stuttgart und an der Universität Stuttgart. Nach einem Aufenthalt als Postdoktorandin am Technion in Haifa, Israel, und Stationen als Forschungsgruppenleiterin in Stuttgart und Leoben, folgte sie 2008 einem Ruf an die Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität München. Zum Düsseldorfer Max-Planck-Institut wechselte sie 2014 und baute die Forschungsgruppe „Nanoanalytik und Grenzflächen“ auf. Im selben Jahr nahm sie auch eine Professur an der RWTH Aachen an der Fakultät für Georessourcen und Materialtechnik, an.
Mit Christina Scheu verlieren wir, die Wissenschaftscommunity, ihre Kooperationspartner sowie ihre Studierenden nicht nur eine engagierte Wissenschaftlerin, sondern auch eine herzliche Kollegin und gute Freundin, die sich immer um ihre Mitmenschen und ihre Gruppenmitglieder mit viel Herzblut gekümmert hat.
Unser tiefes Mitgefühl gilt ihrer Familie und allen, die ihr nahestanden.
Wenn Sie Ihre Anteilnahme öffentlich ausdrücken möchten, schreiben Sie bitte an: rco@mpi-susmat.de (Forschungskoordination). Ihr Beitrag wird hier veröffentlicht.
"With great sadness, I learned about the passing of Christina Scheu. As one of the many students Tina guided throughout her career, I enjoyed the project work and the cooperation with her and her group. Additionally, I am honored that Tina was the second supervisor of my PhD thesis and thus had significant impact on my personal scientific career. While I am sad that the scientific community has lost an inspiring and supportive member, I am comforted that Tina's work and passion live on in her scientific legacy.“ Michael Meischein, former member of the MDI chair at the Ruhr-University Bochum
"I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of Tina's passing. I had the privilege of spending a year in Germany as a visiting researcher in Tina's group. Throughout that year, her care and kindness were like a gentle spring breeze, bringing warmth to my life far away from home. As a mentor, Tina gave me invaluable support in my research. She generously recognized my efforts and always found sincere and encouraging words that gave me confidence. She also shared her experiences as a woman in science, including the challenges of gender bias and balancing a scientific career with family responsibilities. Her honesty and resilience gave me valuable guidance. Beyond being a mentor, Tina was also a dear and patient friend. Knowing that I had brought my daughter to Germany, she showed great care for my family and even invited us to her home for a barbecue. Her warmth made us feel truly welcome. When I left Germany in August last year, Tina and her husband were planning to visit China. I was looking forward to showing them our university and Shanghai. Remembering those plans makes her passing even more difficult to accept. I will always remember Tina as an outstanding scientist, an encouraging mentor and an exceptionally kind person. My deepest condolences go to her husband, family, colleagues and students. With deepest sympathy", Huixin(Helen) Xiu, a former visiting scholar in Tina's group
„Liebe Tina, „Was würde Tina jetzt tun?“ Diese Frage stelle ich mir immer wieder. Dein Rat und Deine Tipps sind mir im Gedächtnis geblieben und haben mir schon oft geholfen, meinen eigenen Weg zu finden.
Du warst und bleibst ein großes Vorbild für mich. Deine taffe, beherzte Art werde ich in Erinnerung behalten. Das, was ich von Dir lernen durfte, möchte ich weitergeben und in Deinem Sinne der nächsten Generation junger Wissenschaftlerinnen zur Seite stehen. Ich werde oft an Dich denken. Danke für alles, was Du mir mitgegeben hast. Deine Lili“, Lilian Vogl, former member of Structure Nano-/Micromechanics department
"Tina, I keep thinking of your smile and laughter. It hurts to know that we will not sit down and talk together again. I admired not only your insight as a scientist, but also the patience and generosity with which you shared your knowledge. Your warmth and enthusiasm made sharing ideas with you a real pleasure. You showed me how kindness and a genuine love of science can inspire those around us. Thank you for your encouragement, your friendship, and the many happy moments we shared. Knowing and working with you meant a great deal to me. I miss you dearly." Xuyang (Rhett) Zhou, former MPI member
"Christina Scheu was so much more than an amazing boss to me. She was a mentor, a guiding light, an inspiration, and one of those rare people who leave a mark on your heart forever. Throughout the years, she was always there for me, not only in my scientific career but also in my personal life. She supported me through my happiest moments and stood by me through some of my darkest ones. She believed in me, encouraged me to grow, guided me even as I stepped into senior positions, and reminded me of my own strength when I needed it most. Having her support throughout all these years helped shape the woman and scientist I am today. She taught me, through her words and actions, to stand up for what I believe in, to fight for what I deserve, and to never let anyone or anything dim my light. Even while facing her own incredibly difficult battle, she still found the strength and generosity to celebrate my achievements, encourage me, and send her love to Marc, Max, and our little one on the way. That was Tina: always thinking of others, always giving, always making people feel seen and valued, even when she was going through so much herself. I will forever be grateful that our paths crossed. I will carry her words with me, and I hope to honour her legacy by supporting others the way she supported me, by believing in people the way she believed in me, and by being that light for someone else when they need it most. Thank you, Tina, for believing in me, for standing by me, for guiding me, and for reminding me that I should never be afraid to shine. You will always be my guiding light. Your kindness, your strength, and your belief in me will stay with me forever. Rest in peace, dear Tina. You will be deeply missed, never forgotten, and always loved.“ Alba Garzón Manjón, former member, now Assistant Professor UAB (Barcelona, Spain).
"Tina, you showed us how to live life to the fullest, recognising and celebrating every small and big win of all of us, eternally optimistic and driven, working hard and forever cheerful, selfless and always there for your students. You were a girl's girl, the backbone of all the women researchers you mentored. The department of SN felt more like family than a workplace because of you. Your tenacity and grit was as powerful as the love and warmth you carried. Fate may have had other plans, but you will live in every single life that you have touched with your kindness, you are not gone...you will never be!“ Nagamani Jaya Balila, former member, Department of Structure and Nano-/Micro-mechanics of Materials
"We still find it hard to believe that Christina is no longer with us. We received an email from her just one week before her passing, and we still think about it almost every day. It is difficult to accept that it was our last exchange. We truly appreciated her kindness, dedication, and support for young researchers. Her passing is a great loss for all of us. Our heartfelt condolences go to her family, friends, and colleagues. She will be deeply missed and always remembered. May she rest in peace.“ Jamil Ur, MGICIAN Doctoral Network, IFW Dresden, Germany
"The warmth that both of you had shown, I've not seen something close to that anywhere. Very personal loss, Tina was indeed our academic mother. To me you have not left, but constantly around, in my work, in my thoughts, always protecting me. A bit of your work will be continued until the day I serve science. May all the infinite kindness and affection both of you have shown to all, bring your dear ones back to fine soon. My deepest prayers." Maya K. Kini, former member of Structure Nano-/Micromechanics department
“It is still so hard to believe that you are no longer with us. The news of your passing was truly shocking and heartbreaking. It feels like only yesterday that we were having lunch together at the Aquarium, sharing conversations and laughter. Somehow, it still feels as though you have just gone away for a little while and will soon be back, smiling as always, bringing everyone together and encouraging us all to dance at the Christmas party. You were not only a wonderful professor, but also someone who felt like both family and a friend to us. You always greeted us with a warm smile, shared funny stories and little moments of joy, and often put your arm around us with such genuine warmth and affection. You made everyone feel welcome and cared for. I will always remember how passionately you encouraged and supported women. Dear Tina, your kindness, warmth, laughter, and wonderful spirit will always stay with us. You brought so much joy to the people around you, and you will be deeply missed. Thank you for all the beautiful memories. Rest in peace, dear Tina.With love and fond memories.“ Kaili Feng, MPI member
“Tina, I wish to thank for everything that you have given me and those around me – from a career advice to sharing some of your knowledge, from a laugh to a dance.
I will always miss you, your smile and your wit, your kindness and your presence.
With Tina’s passing, our field has lost a great scientist.
The world has lost an absolute legend of a human being.
Me. I lost a friend.” Baptiste Gault, former MPI member
“It breaks my heart that you never know when you are going to see someone for the last time. Had I known it earlier, I would have told her how much her sweet words of encouragement meant to me, when all I could ever do was constantly doubt myself. I still remember the day I first met her. Her cheerful laughter made me realize that I was at the right place, and that I had made the right decision of flying thousands of kilometers across the globe to pursue a PhD. With her, the world became a safe place and I no longer had to be on my guard. I remember our afternoon meetings in her office, surrounded by all kinds of sweets and gifts from her colleagues all over the world. Even on the day when I saw her for the last time, her words were full of support and reassurance. It is so painful that she is no longer there. My thoughts and deepest condolences go out to her family and to her colleagues.” Jisun Lee, MPI member
“Losing my supervisor feels like losing the foundation I was built on. Christina was, to me and to so many others, a symbol of resilience, passion for science, strength, and compassion. She was a remarkable mentor with a beautiful soul and a kind and caring nature, someone who never let go of her passion, even until the very end. Her dedication to science and, above all, to her students will remain an inspiration to me. Christina’s legacy will live on through every member of her group, through the paths she helped shape, and through all the successes and achievements of the people she supported and inspired. As long as we carry forward what she taught us, a part of Christina will always live on among us.
Thank you, Tina, for everything you taught us. You’ll forever be in our hearts and never forgotten. With love and remembrance.” Rasa Changizi, former MPI member